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LAKE PLACID - A Russian figure skater charged with stealing a car and driving drunk was released from the Essex County Jail Wednesday night pending a felony hearing today.

Wearing shackles and a black-and-white striped jail uniform, Andrei Lutai, 23, of St. Petersburg, Russia, appeared before village Justice Margaret Doran with his lawyer, Brian Barrett of Lake Placid, and U.S. Bobsled Team Manager Lenny Kasten, who served as a translator.

In addition to local media outlets, New York City-based reporters and camera crews from several Russian television news agencies were on hand in the North Elba Town Hall for the court session.

Vladimir Lenski, a reporter from Russia's Channel One, said Lutai's arrest is getting a lot of attention in Russia.

"It's not number one, but it is a big story," he said. "I think at this point it's more scandal than outrage."

Barrett entered not-guilty pleas on behalf of Lutai to charges of third-degree grand larceny and third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, both of which are felonies, and third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle and aggravated driving while intoxicated, misdemeanors.

Village police say Lutai stole a 2008 Chevrolet Impala from Central Garage around 10:45 p.m. Sunday. Employees of the business said they witnessed the theft and called police, who located the vehicle, pulled Lutai over and determined he was intoxicated. He had a blood alcohol content of .19 percent. The legal limit to drive in the state is .08 percent.

Lutai, an Olympic hopeful who finished 10th in the men's competition on this past weekend's Skate America event, had been in the Essex County Jail on $100,000 bail since his arrest.

Barrett told Judge Doran that Essex County District Attorney Julie Garcia had agreed to drop the felony charges.

"It was my understanding, through a conversation with Ms. Garcia (Wednesday morning), that the felony charges were going to be dropped," Barrett said Wednesday night.

He noted that his client wouldn't be able to leave the country if a felony charge is still pending.

"We were hoping to get Mr. Lutai back on his way to Russia on Friday," Barrett said.

Assistant District Attorney Brian Felton said prosecutors don't plan to proceed with a felony hearing, although they will bring Lutai to trial on the aggravated driving while intoxicated and unauthorized use of a vehicle charges.

Doran said she wasn't prepared to dismiss the felony charges without scheduling a hearing, which was set for 4 p.m. today.

Barrett asked the judge to release Lutai on his own recognizance.

"He is certainly not a flight risk," he said. "He'll come back and participate in any proceedings of this court if necessary. Hopefully the court would allow a waiver of appearance to allow me to stand in Mr. Lutai's shoes in future proceedings, if necessary."

Felton raised no objections to Lutai's release. He said the district attorney's office had received a letter from the Russian Consulate General's Office "that speaks highly of Mr. Lutai's character as well as his credibility."

Barrett noted that Lutai has no criminal history in Russia. Reference letters from his uncle and the Figure Skating Federation of Russia were also provided to the judge.

Doran agreed to release Lutai on his own recognizance, provided he appears in court today. She also suspended Lutai's driving privileges in New York state until the case is resolved.

After the court proceedings, Barrett said his client is eager to get home and continue his training.

"He just wants to get back to competing and doing what he does," Barrett said. "Ms. Garcia is working to make a very quick investigation into this matter so we can get Mr. Lutai on with his life and his training and hopefully a good Olympic career."

Barrett said earlier this week that there are conflicting reports from witnesses about whether Lutai was the one who actually stole the vehicle. He's also questioned whether police witnessed Lutai driving the car.

Barrett added another possible defense Wednesday night, suggesting Lutai may have been "involuntarily intoxicated."

"Involuntary intoxication - if somebody put an intoxicant in Mr. Lutai's drink - is an absolute defense to any criminal charge in the United States," Barrett said. "Given his history of not drinking at all before the night of the arrest leads me to believe he could have been possibly involuntarily intoxicated or an intoxicant slipped to him."

Speaking outside his business prior to the court session, Jerry Strack, owner of Central Garage, seemed to forgive Lutai for what happened.

"That guy made a mistake," he said. "Everybody's entitled to one mistake. Nobody got hurt and there was no damage (to the car)."

Strack is a member of the board of directors of the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, which hosted the Skate America event.

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Contact Chris Knight at 891-2600 ext. 24 or cknight@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.